Tossing game having target surfaces tiltable in response to correctly tossed projectile

ABSTRACT

A game for persons of any age or either sex wherein a plurality of weighted objects are successively tossed from a set distance towards a selected one of two tiltable playing surfaces. Each of the playing surfaces is downwardly tilted or depressed to a predetermined extent by the weight of each object that comes to rest thereupon. A scoring indicator is so connected to each surface that the more the surface is depressed or tilted by the weight of the objects, the higher the scoring end of the indicator is rocked about a fulcrum, thereby indicating a higher score.

United States Patent Howard [1 1 3,656,748 [451 Apr. 18, 1972 [54] TOSSING GAME HAVING TARGET SURFACES TILTABLE IN RESPONSE TO CORRECTLY TOSSED PROJECTILE [72] Inventor: Arthur G. Howard, 5869 N. Keystone Avenue, Indianapolis, Ind. 46220 [22] Filed: Dec. 1,1969

[21] Appl.No.: 881,193

[52] US. Cl... ..273/l02.l F, 273/D1G. 26, 273/95 R [51] Int. Cl. .......A63b 63/00 [58] Field of Search ..273/95 R, 102.1 R, 102.1 C, v-273/l02.l E, 102.1 F, 102 R; 177/105, 253, 262, 230, 225; 209/121 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Backus ..273/153 I 2,949,305 8/1960 Davis ..273/l02.1 R 2,551,720 5/1951 Bevis ..273/102 R 1,161,171 11/1915 Ventunni ..273/l02.l D

Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-Marvin Siskind Attorney-Woodard, Weikart, Emhardt & Naughton [57] ABSTRACT A game for persons of any age or either sex wherein a plurality of weighted objects are successively tossed from a set distance towards a selected one of two tiltable playing surfaces. Each of the playing surfaces is downwardly tilted or depressed to a predetermined extent by the weight of each object that comes to rest thereupon. A scoring indicator is so connected to each surface that the more the surface is depressed or tilted by the weight of the objects, the higher the scoring end of the indicator is rocked about a fulcrum, thereby indicating a higher score.

6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures TOSSING GAME HAVING TARGET SURFACES TILTABLE IN RESPONSE T O CORRECTLY TOSSED PROJECTILE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the'lnvention This invention relates to a game of skill.

Description of the Prior Art Heretofore there has been an abundance of games of chance and skill wherein objects are tossed or thrown in some manner towards a target or target area. Whether the game has been the age-old game of horseshoes or the more modern game of darts, it has been necessary for the players to count their score by addition (or subtraction in the event of an unfortunate and telling miss) as the game progressed. Such a mental process of computing scores has always been subject to inadvertent errors and it is not at all unusual for bitter arguments to ensue as a result of the mistake and as to whether it was adve rtent or inadvertent in character. It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a scoring mechanism which measures the accuracy and success of the tosse's through the medium of a pointer which points towards a numerical total, thereby eliminating the need to resort to the mental process of computing the score.

The prior art has also been characterized by the fact that in most instances each throw or toss has the same degree of skill involved. It is a further object of the present invention to increase the skill required to score following each successful toss. That is to say, the more objects that have successfully been tossed to rest position upon the playing surface, the more difficult it becomes to land others successfully thereupon.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention includes in its preferred embodiment a pair of flat tapered playing boards that are normally mounted in a housing in a substantially horizontal position. The rearward end of each board is pivotally mounted upon a rod or pin that is joumall ed in a side of the housing. Depending from the rod adjacent the outer end thereof is a strap. A coil spring connects the lower end of the strap to the front of the-housing. Consequently, as the board is tilted downwardly about the axis of the rod by the weight of the successfully tossed objects, the lower end of the strap moves rearwardly andplaces the spring under tension. When the weight of the objects is removed, the spring biases the lower end of the strap forwardly and returns the board to its normally horizontal position.

A scoring indicator or counter is also included. It is connected to the lower end of the strap by a link. The indicator is pivoted to the side of the housing.

When the strap is rocked rearwardly, as aforesaid, the link moves the scoring end of the indicator upwardly about its pivot. The scoring end is exposed to the view of the players, and points to numbers on the housing. The more the playing board is depressed the more the scoring indicator is moved upwardly, and the higher the recorded score.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the game.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view thereof with one of the side plates of the housing removed and the playing board tilted to one position.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view thereof with the playing board in its normal, starting position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The game comprising this invention is shown in perspective in FIG. 1. It includes the housing which has two sides shown generally at 11 and 12, a back 13 and a downwardly inclined front panel 14 tenninating in a shortened front wall 15. The sides are preferably double walled with the outer wall of the left side of the housing shown at 110 and the inner wall of the right side shown at 12a. A curved front and top divider or spacer 16 connects the inner and outer walls of the two sides of the housing. An arcuate slot 17 is formed in each divider. Mounted between each inner and outer wall or panel of the two sides of the invention is a bracket plate 18. Journalled in each plate at its outer end is a pivot rod 19 which extends inwardly and carries or mounts the rearward endof each of the two playing boards 20. Each rod is also journalled at its inward end in a mounting bracket (not shown).

Depending from each of the two pivot rods is a strap 21. The strap is capable of rocking about its pivot bar, and does so in practice as the board is downwardly tilted or depressed.

Connecting the lower end of the strap with the front divider 16 is a coil spring 22. The spring normally biases the strap to its forward position shown in FIG. 3 which means that the playing board is rocked to its normally horizontal position.

Each playing board has an apron or skirt 23. This serves to keep a weighted object or game piece 24 from extending from the board on which it has come to rest, into the path of the other board. That is to say, it would be possible for an object to land on the board with a portion overhanging or extending beyond the side edge. Since the boards are in side to side proximity to each other, the overhanging or outwardly extending portion of an object would obstruct the downward movement of the adjacent board. This would unfairly interfere with the downward scoring movement of that adjacent board.

Pivotally mounted at 25 to a bracket 26 carried by each inner wall of the sides of the housing is a scoring lever or indicator 27. The outer end of the indicator extends'through the slot 17 and is turned at right angles to form the pointer portion 27a.

Connected to the indicator adjacent to the latters inner end, and in an over center position relative to the pivot 25 is the link 28. The link is connected at its other end to the strap and may have the turnbuckle 29 to adjust its length.

In use, the game participants, preferably two in number, will decide which of the two playing surfaces is to be used by each player. The weighted objects 24 may be of any predetermined number, for example, five. They are similar to the age-old bean bags in the sense that they are weighted. While small air gun shot may be used to fill the objects, any desired material is satisfactory.

The drawings show the use of round, disc like objects or game pieces, but it is to be understood that they can be of any desired shape. If greater skill is desired, the objects may be less flexible, and smooth surfaced, so that it is more difficult to keep them from sliding off of the board. Similarly the boards may be smooth surfaced. Conversely, if it is desired to make the game less difficult, the pieces or objects may be more flexible like a bean bag, and the boards surface may be roughened for better retention purposes.

Once it is decided which player starts first, he proceeds to toss or throw the objects towards his playing board. The players can alternate, i.e. each player may toss one object in turn, or if desired they may toss all of their objects before the other player starts.

Since the boards are pivotally mounted at their rearward ends it is apparent that the closer to the free end of the board the player can get his objects to come to rest the more the board will be depressed and the higher he will score. Yet, the free ends of the boards are the tapered ends and afford less of a playing area, thereby making it more difficult to hit. By the same token the rearward playing portion of the boards behind the lines 30 are wider, and require less skill to successfully land an object thereupon. Objects that come to rest in this area depress the boards less since they are closer to the pivot rods. As a consequence the player scores less from that toss.

As is apparent from the foregoing description, the weight of the objects rocks the board downwardly i.e. depresses or tilts it about its axis in the form of the pivot rod. As the rod pivots it moves the strap that is affixed to it to the rear. This is done against the constraint of the spring which normally retains the boards in substantially horizontal position. The rearward movement of the strap also moves the link to the rear. Since the link is connected to the scoring indicator at a point above center of the indicators pivot or fulcrum point, such rearward movement rocks the indicator upwardly. The exposed end of the indicator moves freely up the slot and points to the score. When the exposed end has moved to the top of the slot, the maximum number of points has been attained.

It is also apparent from the foregoing that the distance on the indicator from the fulcrum point to the exposed end is such in relation to the curvature of the slot that the arc traversed by the exposed end is concentric with but slightly greater than the arc defined by the curvature of that slot. By reason of this construction and arrangement of parts the exposed end will always move up and down in substantially the same spaced relation from the area bordering the slot. It is on this area that the figures are located in gradually ascending numerical values.

It should also be pointed out that the tension of the coil spring may be increased or decreased by turning the control element 31 that extends outwardly of the spacers or dividers.

in order to prevent the boards from being rocked or pivoted to a position above the substantially horizontal non-use or starting positions a stop 33 may be used. The rear wall of the housing serves as a stop for the strap in its rearward movement.

lclaim:

l. A game comprising in combination:

a. a housing;

b. at least one tiltable board mounted in said housing about a pivot point;

e. a counter weight means connecting said housing and said board for nonnally biasing said board to a game starting position;

d. scoring means connected to said board and being movable in direct proportion to the increase of weight on said board and positioning of weight on said board from said pivot point to record scores; and wherein:

said board is movable to a tilt position against the bias of said weight means in response to the weight of objects deposited thereon.

2. A game as described in claim 1 wherein said scoring means are movable in direct proportion to the increase of weight on said board to record progressively higher scores.

3. A game as described in claim 1 including weighted game pieces for tossing upon said board from predetermined distances. 7

4. A game as described in claim 1 wherein said tiltable board is gradually tapered from back to front to provide a smaller playing surface.

5. A game as described in claim 1 wherein the counterweight means comprises a coil spring that is connected at one end to the housing and at its other end to the board.

6. A game comprising in combination:

a. a housing;

b. at least one tiltable board mounted in said housing;

c. a counterweight means connecting said housing and said board for normally biasing said board to a game starting position;

d. said board being movable to a tilt position against the bias of said means in response to the weight of objects deposited thereon; and

e. weighted game pieces for tossing upon said board from predetermined distances; and wherein the scoring means comprises a member depending from said board, a scoring indicator pivotally mounted in said housing, and a link connecting said member and said indicator at a point that is over center relative to said pivotal mounting whereby said indicator is rocked upwardly into progressively higher scoring position as said board isdepressed to a lower position by the increased weight of the scoring 

1. A game comprising in combination: a. a housing; b. at least one tiltable board mounted in said housing about a pivot point; c. a counter weight means connecting said housing and said board for normally biasing said board to a game starting position; d. scoring means connected to said board and being movable in direct proportion to the increase of weight on said board and positioning of weight on said board from said pivot point to record scores; and wherein: said board is movable to a tilt position against the bias of said weight means in response to the weight of objects deposited thereon.
 2. A game as described in claim 1 wherein said scoring means are movable in direct proportion to the increase of weight on said board to record progressively higher scores.
 3. A game as described in claim 1 including weighted game pieces for tossing upon said board from predetermined distances.
 4. A game as described in claim 1 wherein said tiltable board is gradually tapered from back to front to provide a smaller playing surface.
 5. A game as described in claim 1 wherein the counterweight means comprises a coil spring that is connected at one end to the housing and at its other end to the board.
 6. A game comprising in combination: a. a housiNg; b. at least one tiltable board mounted in said housing; c. a counterweight means connecting said housing and said board for normally biasing said board to a game starting position; d. said board being movable to a tilt position against the bias of said means in response to the weight of objects deposited thereon; and e. weighted game pieces for tossing upon said board from predetermined distances; and wherein the scoring means comprises a member depending from said board, a scoring indicator pivotally mounted in said housing, and a link connecting said member and said indicator at a point that is over center relative to said pivotal mounting whereby said indicator is rocked upwardly into progressively higher scoring position as said board is depressed to a lower position by the increased weight of the scoring pieces coming to rest thereupon. 